Regents may vote to keep interims out of running

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000 | 11:20 a.m.

The university Board of Regents was to consider a change in policy today that would make it difficult -- if not impossible -- for an interim school president or chancellor to be a candidate for the permanent position.

The action comes in the wake of situations where two high-level interim appointees have sought the posts while national searches were being conducted.

Interim University and Community College System of Nevada Chancellor Jane Nichols is expected to be appointed to the permanent position Friday. Community College of Southern Nevada interim President Robert Silverman recently was reinstated as a finalist for the permanent post after being eliminated by a committee.

The policy the regents were to debate reads in its entirety: "Unless otherwise approved by the Board of Regents, any person appointed acting president or acting chancellor cannot become a candidate for the position."

"If you are going to be an interim, be an interim," said Regent Mark Alden, an outspoken critic of interims being considered for the job. "But if you want the permanent post, go for the permanent post like everyone else."

"It creates a situation where the interim can use the position to wheel and deal for the job."

Alden was the lone opposition vote to Silverman's appointment as interim CCSN president in January. At the time he cited as his reason the fact that Silverman was in the hunt for the permanent post.

Regent Tom Kirkpatrick said an interim does not necessarily need to be disqualified from a permanent position.

"The person given the interim appointment has to be qualified and can do the job based on prior experiences at other jobs for us to give the interim position to him or her," Kirkpatrick said.

"Our interim chancellor (Nichols) is a good example of that."

Alden agreed that Nichols is "the exception to the rule" because she turned out to be the best candidate for the job and acted professionally during the selection process.

"Jane Nichols is the best thing to happen to UNLV in a long time," Alden said.

Regent Steve Sisolak noted one compelling reason to allow interims is to benefit smaller schools, where an inside candidate may be the best for both the interim and permanent positions. Smaller schools also may not have the money to conduct a nationwide search, he said.

But the presence of an interim in the field, Alden said, could cause other highly qualified individuals to forgo applying for top Nevada university or college posts, because they may think the interim has an inside track.

"We want the best applicant possible, and sometimes the applicant pool shrivels up when an interim is in the running," Alden said.

Silverman was placed back in the running for the permanent post in August by the regents, bringing to seven the number of finalists for the job. A search committee on Aug. 5 had dropped Silverman when it cut the pool from 13 to six finalists.

CCSN faculty, staff and students had lobbied regents to request an interview for Silverman, who served more than four years as vice president of academic affairs under former President Richard Moore. Moore was appointed president of the proposed state college in Henderson.

Interviews for the permanent CCSN top job will be conducted this month.